"It's always nice for our state to be recognized on a national level, and we were against some other really big cities. Also making the list was San Antonio, Texas, and Pittsburgh, Pa.," said Beth Velasquez of AARP New Mexico.

According to Velasquez, the tax value, property values and median home price of $148,000 all mean money stretches further, giving a person the opportunity to pay bills and still have plenty to play with.

"We included in that assessment money to go out for a night on the town or go to the movies and still have that quality of life," said Velasquez.

But it doesn't stop there, with good medical services, cultural amenities, a university and outdoor activities. The city received a high ranking for quality of life for those looking to retire comfortably on $100 a day, which works out to $36,500 a year.

The jury that will decide whether to convict Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev includes a house painter eager to "serve my country," a man in his 20s who is Baha'i and speaks Farsi, and a water department employee who said he thinks t...